The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-05
The Career of John Timothy Treze
HAul.

bird seeks the loneliness of solitude
in which to heal a broken wing, so
the wounded heart, weeping by the
grave of buried love, prefers to nurse
its sorrow unmolested. But presum-
ing upon our pleasant and agreeable
acquaintance Of thirty years, feel at
liberty to tsnder you my coincidence
and sympathy in your irreparable-be-
reavement, occasioned by the death
Of your husband, who is not only in
trenched in your heart, but in the
affections of the people OF Memphis.
o, that | could place bright, beau
tiiul star in your night OF grief-a
sweet little flower in your path. But
when the wife to whom,
"Thero' bnt faint sobbing reward,
While the calm Oftho tide deopens leeward,"
is bereft Of her husband-the twin
spirit with whom she has walked,
hand in hand, from the altar to the
grave-there is a desolation Of heart,
corroding of grief which the tears Of
loving children and the sympathy of
kind friends can neither s0othe nor
heal. Nothing but time and the re-
Fiction that it will not be long be-
fore there will be o reunion in the
blissful realm where love is immortal
and the rainbow never fades from the
sky can mitigate sorrow like thine.
The sun sinks in the red west, but he
rises again in the twilight OF his
morning glories; the spring dies, and
her garlands turn to dust and her
songs to silence, but she comes again
with her blossoms and regal beauty.
Our friends aud relatives sicken aud
die, but as the spring returns, 70 will
the lips, once the home OF music, be
heard again. Even the skeptical,
mourning over the loved and lost, de-
rives hope from the tragedy that rep
resents dark pagan age, in which
the devoted Greek, about to yield his
life a sacrifice to fate is asked by his
Clemanthe, Shall we never see each
other again2" After a pause Ion an
swers:
l have asked that dreadful question Of tho
That look etorual; of the flowing streams.
THAI lucid flow foroyeri OF the stars,
Amid whose fields OF azure my raised spirit
Hath tTod ia glory; ali were dumb; but now,
While thus gaze upon thy living face,
l feel the love that kindles through It's
Can never WI ol y perish zoe shaY meet
again, CemdntheP'
As newspaper editor, il has
fallen to my province to write
the obituary notices of most OF
the old leading citizens Of Mem
phis who have died during the past
twenty years. | knew your husband
intimately, and devotedly attached to
him as | was, my retirement from
the press will not prevent my offer
ing YOU my sympathy and giving you
my estimate Of his splendid charao-
ter. Ga locating in Memphis one
of the first acquaintance | made
was John Il. Trezevant, and his
home was the first to which |
was invited-the first whose thresh-
old | trod. | found it an ideal
home, surrounded by yourself and
q group Of handsome, intelligent
children. His home associations were
so delightful that he seemed to have
a little paradise all his own. | found
him q most attractive character, a
courtly gentleman faultless in the
elegance CT his manners. Blessed
with classical education, his con-
versation was ennobling, interesting
and instructive. He had read much,
his memory was retentiye and he
could entertain the most learned and
intellectual with his profound erudi.
ton. Every subject he discussed
was invested with new interest. His
attainments were varied, extensive
and accurate. Nothing escaped
his observation or his scru.
tiny. Endowed with natural gifts
of a high order, r.Dple-
mented by much learning, he devel-
oped the gathered treasures Of his
mind. Whether discussing politics,
philosophy, poetry, science, art, the
heavens, the insects Of the air or the
worms OF the dust, writing was his
sweetest pastime, his favorite oathol-
icon. His pen was his constant
companion. Sick, he loved to pour
out his grand thoughts, and, blessed
with an interval Of comparative
health, the words dropped spontane.
ously from his pen and seemed to
dance along the lines in joy. And as
writer he was correct, ohaste,
vigorous and lucid. He handled the
most abstruse questions with clear
ness, directness and great ability.
But voluminous as were his writings,
nothing can be found in advocacy OF
his of own pecuniary interest or his
personal ambition. Every line was
penned for the public good, to ad-
vance the prosperity and happiness
Of the people OF Memphis. No man,
living or dead, ever had more at
heart the prosperity Of this city
or did more with voice
and pen to push Memphis
forward in the race TO great
ness than John T. Treze-
want. have in my possession the
files Of the Memphis newspapers
the Eagle, the Enquirer, the AP-
PEAL, the Bulletin, the Ledger, the
Northumberland while all these jour
nails are adorned with contributions
from his ready pen, he never wrote
line or sentence for his own aggran-
dizement. TO see Memphis a great,
prosperous city was the dream of
his life. With instincts pure and
elevated, he spent his life sacrifice
for the benefit Of the people
he loved. For this he wrote
and spoke and labored for forty
years. And his life was one
Of peculiar patbos, for he was in con.
slant battle with disease. His soul
burned with fame too ardent for
his body. His intellectual powers
far exceeded the capabilities Of his
physical frame, and he always saw
possibilities for doing good, which
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